Great Plants and Flowers for Your Shade Garden

Have you got a shady spot in your landscape that could use some color and splash? Don't worry, there are plenty of flowers and plants that can make it look gorgeous.

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are fabulous shrubs which produce large globe-shaped flowers made up of individual florets. They are well suited for many different area of your garden. Most Hydrangeas will do well in areas from shady to sunny. They come in a large variety of colors and variety as well.

Hydrangeas can grow quite large, so make sure that you have room for them to expand. Some varieties can grow to six feet tall and wide, so be sure to check the species before you purchase to be certain that you will have enough room.

Hydrangeas have large heart-shaped leaves which can be variegated or dark green. The foliage is lovely as well as the flowers. The colors of Hydrangeas can range from red to blue, pink and white. They are a perfect addition to your shade garden and will bloom from mid summer on.

The color of your Hydrangea flowers will depend of the species you purchase, but also on the acidity of your soil. If you purchase a pink Hydrangea, and find that it's flowers are actually blooming in blue, then you can bet you have acidic soil. If the reverse is true, and your blue Hydrangea is blooming pink, then you probably have a very alkaline soil. You can purchase soil additives at most garden centers to adjust the ph of the soil if you are not please with the color of your Hydrangea blooms.

For the best results in shady areas, plant Hydrangeas in rich soil and keep well-watered but not soggy. Hydrangeas bloom on last year's wood, so do not prune branches back unless they are damaged or rotten. For links to beautiful Hydrangeas, try Spring Hill Nursery: http://springhillnursery.com/search.asp?ss=hydrangea&x=0&y=0.

Ferns

Ferns are also beautiful plants for your shade loving garden. They come in many varieties. Their fronds range from dark green to variegated and some species have fronds which grow to thirty inches or more. They also make great cuttings to add to your home grown flower arrangements.